Kustom Graphics – Book Review #7
Posted 12 Aug 2010 - No Comments - leave yours now!
I’ve tried in the past to catagorise design books. Some inform, others instruct and there are a few out there that simply dazzle you with page after page of creativity and skill that leave you wishing you had done some of the works yourself.
Kustom Graphics is such a book.
Kustom Graphics – Introduction by Julian Balme, Compiled by Yak El- Droubie, Text by Ian C. Parliament
Blurb: Over the past 15 years, the art of kustom kulture has seen an explosion of energy and imagination, fuelled by a crossover of genres. Hot rod artists are now creating work for rock n roll bands, t-shirt designers are using the body as a canvas and creating amazing tattoos, tattoo artists are embracing tiki motifs, music poster screenprinters are adopting the raunch of burlesque in their work and skateboard artists are embracing the spirit of hot rods.
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My Life as a Cartoon #33
Posted 09 Aug 2010 - One gratefully received comment
7 Tips for Freelancers Arranging a Holiday
Posted 05 Aug 2010 - 5 Gratefully received comments
I had a very strange experience last weekend. I didn’t do any work! In fact I hardly touched my computer or answered my phone at all. You could say I was practicing for my upcoming holiday.
Not doing any work sounds great, but as a freelancer it’s a doubled edged sword. It’s always nice to take a bit of time out for yourself, but if the phone isn’t ringing and you don’t have a project to work on it can only mean that your income is going to be affected.
I freelance in my spare time, so I’m not too worried by fallow periods, but I always have plenty of personal projects to busy myself with, as well as a lot of informal work that I take on.
In short, even when I decide to take some time off I end up beating myself up by thinking that I should be working. Unfortunately, this state of mind continues into the time I set aside for holidays.
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Creative Quotations #5
Posted 02 Aug 2010 - One gratefully received comment
Here’s another installment of quotes I’ve collected for your consideration. A lot of these quotes are about life in general but I think they apply to designers, creative thinkers and business people alike.
Take the attitude of a student, never be too big to ask questions, never know too much to learn something new. – Og Mandino
You live longer once you realize that any time spent being unhappy is wasted. - Ruth E. Renkl
Don’t argue with an idiot.They will only drag you down to their level and beat you by experience. - Greg King
Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that. – Norman Vincent Peale
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Blog-ject #1 Update
Posted 02 Aug 2010 - No Comments - leave yours now!
Just to keep anyone interested updated, my bog-ject is still going on! I’ve got the the bit of the project where it’s difficult to give you any articles that show it’s progress.
I’m researching for ‘The swinging penguins’ and hope to give you a few showcases of my findings and initial ideas in the next few weeks.
Feel free to give me any research links and leads that you think might help me in the comments below. Be assured I haven’t forgotten this little venture, and the results will be coming to my blog as soon as possible.
- leave a comment!My Life as a Cartoon #32
Posted 29 Jul 2010 - 4 Gratefully received comments
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What is your Go-To Font? – Random Question #5
Posted 26 Jul 2010 - 7 Gratefully received comments
Here’s another opportunity for you to have your say, with another one of my random questions.
I’ve been thinking about fonts a little more than usual recently. This is down to an article that appeared on the BBC News Website titled ‘Do Typefaces Really Matter?’
This was an interesting read that might make some people a bit more aware of the importance of typography in design. However I thought it tailed off badly at the end giving Bruno Maag another opportunity for a bit of Helvetica bashing. You can read more on his views in this article from the Creative Review Blog called ‘The Helvetica Killer’. Mr Maag has an excellent reasons to grind this particular axe, but I don’t think he’ll ever sharpen it enough to chop down the massive oak that is ‘Helvetica’.
Typography is severely underestimated in ‘general’ design. It’s something that needs to be understood and utilised properly for full impact. Having said this, I’m of the opinion that there are too many fonts available that perform the same job.
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Ken Reynolds is a graphic designer, illustrator and blogger. Contact me if you'd like to work with me, ask any questions or just say hello.
Recent Articles
- Break Time
- Is Design Becoming Invisible?
- My Life as a Cartoon #35
- The Great Design Myth – Exposure
- My Life as a Cartoon #34
- Why I set up a Facebook page for my Business
- Finding First Gear – Returning to Work after a Holiday
- Kustom Graphics – Book Review #7
- My Life as a Cartoon #33
- 7 Tips for Freelancers Arranging a Holiday
Recent Tweets
- New Blog Post: Break Time! - I'll be taking a break from blogging for a few weeks. http://fb.me/FjooVmR0
- New Blog Post: Is Design Becoming Invisible? - An article with plenty to think about, but very few conclusions.... http://fb.me/I6H6ZDyv
- Morning all, hope you are all well. Hope to hear about my new flat today!
- @designthatrocks @print24 @ukgraphicdesign @topleftdesign Thanks for the RT's
- New Comic Strip: What does a designer do, anyway? - http://bit.ly/bsg1cq - Please RT if you smile!
- @Designbloguk @tbwcf @imrogb @78Degrees_US @trotz98 @Readysalted A few people I connected with last week.
- @Designbloguk Thanks for the RT!
- New Comic Strip: What does a designer do, again? http://fb.me/DQPn6emF
- You can see this comic on my website and add to the comments thread if you like it.... http://fb.me/FBueHaID
- Blog Post: The great design myth - exposure - interesting comments thread developing, please join in! - http://bit.ly/9RimrO
I'm a freelance graphic designer living and working in Suffolk.
I've been using Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign & Quark Xpress since 1999 but I've been using pens, pencils, paper and most importantly my imagination for a lot longer. I'm always looking for new clients to work with and interesting projects to work on.